A garden full of exotic and beautiful flowers was shown. Passing through the garden were Silverbolt, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie as they were admiring the many blooms. The group kept walking as they saw several Butterfrees, Beautiflys, and other Bug Pokémon roaming about the place.
"Why hello there," said Fluttershy as she bent down to greet some Pokémon.
"Okay, so where are we?" asked Rainbow.
"Well, according to the map, we're near Monroe town," stated Silverbolt as he looked at his Pokédex's map feature that showed their location. "We're still ways off from Mt. Ares."
"Great," groaned Rainbow as it would be even longer before they would challenge the gym.
The group exited the garden cobblestone trail and came to a small hall building just outside the town's outskirts. Several people were shown with their Pokémon as they seemed to be doing some tricks.
"What are they doing? They're not battling," said Dash as they walked by some people.
"Maybe the big sign on the building is the reason."
"What big sign?" said Silverbolt.
The group turned to where Pinkie was pointing as a sign on the building read two simple words: Pokémon Contest.
"How did we miss that?" asked the boy.
"A Pokémon Contest? What's that?" asked Fluttershy.
"It's a competition!"
The group of teens turned as another girl of similar age was nearby as she was bent down and petting her Pokémon.
"Hi there, my name is Pauline."
"Hey, I'm Silverbolt."
"Rainbow Dash."
"Pinkie."
"Fluttershy."
"Nice to meet you all. So, are any of you going to enter the Pokémon Contest?" asked the girl, facing the group.
"We're just passing through," said Rainbow.
"So, what exactly is a Pokémon Contest?" asked Silverbolt.
"It's a competition where Pokémon Coordinators enter alongside their Pokémon. The idea behind this type of competition is to captivate your Pokémon's style," said Pauline.
"Pokémon Coordinators?" said Fluttershy.
"Trainers who specialize in Pokémon Contests," explained the girl. "See, just like there's the Equestrian League for Pokémon Trainers, we Coordinators have something similar. However, instead of badges, we're given ribbons. Collect five ribbons, and you gain entry into the festival."
"Huh, I never heard of that," said Rainbow.
"Believe it or not, I've already won one," said the girl, pulling out a ribbon she had previously won.
"Wow!" said Pinkie as they looked at the thing.
"This is my second Pokémon Contest, and I plan on entering with my Persian."
Next to Pauline was a large cat. Its fur was beige, and it had a curly tail. There was also a small, red gem on its forehead.
"A Persian, huh?" said Rainbow as she pulled out her Pokédex.
"Persian, the Classy Cat Pokémon and the evolved form of Meowth. Getting this prideful Pokémon to warm up to you takes a lot of effort, and it will claw at you when it gets annoyed."
Persian let out a meow as it approached Fluttershy.
"Aw, aren't you cute?" said the girl as she bent down to pet the feline. It purred upon the girl's touch before licking her face repeatedly, resulting in Fluttershy giggling.
"You're really good with Pokémon," said Pauline, as she knew how feisty her Persian could be.
"Fluttershy's parents run a Pokémon Nursery, so she spent all of her time around Pokémon when she was younger," said Rainbow.
"So how does this Pokémon Contest differ from gym battles?" asked Silverbolt.
"Why don't I show you?" said Pauline. "Would any of you be interested in helping me?"
"I'm down!" stated Rainbow.
The group found a small field close to the contest hall as Pauline stood on one side with her Persian while Rainbow stood on the other.
"This should be interesting to see," said Pinkie as she reached into her hair to pull out some popcorn and began to munch on it.
"Alright, Dash. We're ready whenever you are!" said Pauline.
"Alright then! Snivy, you're up to bat!" said Rainbow as she brought her Pokémon. "Snivy, start with Vine Whip!"
"Snivy!" said the Pokémon as she made her vines appear and head toward her opponents.
"Persian, get to it," said Pauline as her feline ran forward.
The cat was rushing toward the oncoming vines as it wasn't afraid. As it got closer, at the last second, it jumped into the air, twisted its body, and twirled gracefully. Snivy and Rainbow were shocked that the Pokémon could move so effortlessly that it easily evaded the vines.
"What was that? Hit it again!" ordered Rainbow.
"Snivy!" said the Pokémon as she landed and made her vines appear.
"Persian, double time!" said Pauline.
The feline knew what that meant as it evaded Snivy's vines by dancing about on its four legs. One would think it would have been hit making some rhythm motion, but as it turned out, Persian was avoiding all of Snivy's whips. It was avoiding the attack better than if it was battling regularly.
"What the hell? How is it avoiding it?" said Rainbow.
"I didn't know, Persian had moves like that," said Silverbolt as they watched.
"Snivy, change it up and use Leaf Storm."
"Snivy!" said the Pokémon as she began to make a coat of leaves appear as they swirled around her before she commanded them to shoot forward.
"Excellent. We'll use that. Persian, use Swift!" said Pauline with a smile, thrusting her hand out.
The feline opened its mouth as the gem on its forehead glowed. Shiny yellow stars then shot out from its mouth as they collided with the leaves Snivy threw out. The two attacks met in the middle as it started as a stalemate. Soon, something began to happen as the stars and leaves began to form some light show. When it disbursed, it made sparkles rain above the Persian, and the small fireworks seemed to make its grace and beauty even more glamorous.
"Wow!" said the others as they saw all the twinkling lights that went off above Pauline and Persian.
"What did she just do?" said Rainbow as she admitted the light show looked cool, but was also amazed at how she did that.
"Persian, Power Gem," said Pauline as she winked.
Persian meowed as it made several shiny gemstone rocks appear. Snivy expected the rocks to come at it from the front, but the gemstones began to surround it. Persian controlled its move as it made the stones spin rapidly around the smaller Pokémon. Snivy didn't know what to do as the stones got closer and closer while continuing to spin before they collided with the snake as she yelped.
"Snivy!" said Rainbow as her Pokémon dragged along the grass.
"Persian, Thunderbolt!" said Pauline.
Persian heard the command as its gem glowed again. It raised its tail to produce the Thunderbolt attack but didn't fire it off immediately. Instead, it shot up, and Persian, using the gem on its forehead, controlled its attack and made the Thunderbolt take shape. It condensed into a giant star made of electricity as it shined brightly.
"Woah!" said the others, amazed by what Pauline and Persian could do.
The girl smiled and winked as Persian began to make the Thunderbolt star spin as it shot out electricity from its tips. Snivy dodged the first few but couldn't avoid the others as it shocked from all spinning sides and couldn't move.
"Snivy!" said Rainbow as she saw her Pokémon hit the floor, but it hadn't been defeated yet.
"I think that's enough!" said Pauline as she decided to call it there. "Great work, Persian."
The feline purred as Pauline tossed a berry at it. She then approached Rainbow, who bent down to pick up her Snivy in her arms.
"Snivy, how you feelin'?" asked the chromatic-haired girl.
"Snivy," said the snake Pokémon as she felt bad it had lost.
"Take five," said Rainbow as she pulled out her Pokéball and recalled her companion.
"Wow. Pokémon Contest are way different than gym battles," said Silverbolt as he was impressed by what he saw.
"You got that right! See, in a Pokémon Contest, you're not only battling your opponent, but you must make sure that your moves show off your Pokémon uniquely."
"So, that's what you were doing with your moves?" asked Pinkie.
"Right on the money. Pokémon Contests are just as rigorous as any gym challenge."
"Ladies and gentlemen, registration is about to close. If you haven't signed up to enter, please hurry!" said the PA system around the contest hall.
"Oh, no! I need to hurry!" said Pauline as she'd gotten so distracted with the group that she forgot she never signed up to enter the contest that was about to happen.
"Phew, made it," said Pauline and Persian as they sighed in relief.
"Sorry we made you forget," said Fluttershy, apologizing for Pauline almost missing the deadline to enter the contest.
"No worries. I got so caught up in showing you the Pokémon Contest that I forgot. That's how it is sometimes. So, are you all going to stick around for the show?" asked the girl.
"Well, I want to get my Mt. Ares gym battle as soon as possible," said Rainbow.
"Ah, come on, Dash. We're nowhere near the place. Besides, Pauline was nice enough to show us how these Pokémon Contests work. The least we can do is watch her perform to support her." said Silverbolt.
"Seriously?" said the chromatic-haired girl.
"I don't mind staying to watch," said Fluttershy.
"Me neither. Plus, free snacks!" said Pinkie as she was at one of the convention food booths. She was given two racks of hot dogs and began to munch on them.
Rainbow just rolled her eyes, and she could see she was outnumbered. "Fine," said the girl.
"In that case, you're gonna need passes," said Pauline as she turned to the woman behind the desk. "Can you issue them passes to watch the show?"
"Mm-hmm. Of course, I can," smiled the receptionist as she began to produce four passes. "Here you go."
"Thanks," said Pauline as she grabbed the four passes and gave them to the group. "Now, you'll need those passes to enter the arena. So make sure you don't lose them."
"I'll say, Pauline. You raised your Persian quite well. Its fur is so clean and nice." said Fluttershy as Persian approached the animal-loving girl and rubbed against her before standing on its hind legs to lick her face, which caused her to giggle.
"Thanks, Fluttershy," said Pauline.
"Um, what for?" asked the girl as Persian ceased its licking.
"It's so nice to hear someone praise the Pokémon I train."
"I know what you mean, Pauline!" said Rainbow as she understood what the girl meant.
"Yeah, that does feel good," added Silverbolt. "It really makes you proud of all the hard work and energy you've put into the training."
"Ladies and gentlemen, the contest is about to start. All participants, please make your way to the stage."
"That's my cue! Wish me luck!" said Pauline as she and Persian began to book it.
"Come on, let's head to our seats and watch her!" said Silverbolt as the group went to find their seats.
The contest hall was filled with many people gathered to watch this entertainment. Many people of all ages sat in attendance as they looked forward to the show. Pinkie had managed to get a bunch of snacks as her seat was filled to the brim with food, and some popcorn spilled onto Rainbow as she complained about sitting next to her. Their attention was soon caught as, on the stage, a spotlight shone down on a man holding a microphone.
"The wait is over, folks! The Pokémon Contest is about to begin!" said the host as the audience clapped and cheered. "Now... our three judges will determine which participants will move onto the second round. And don't forget, the contest winner will earn this fabulous ribbon. Thus, anyone who wins five ribbons from the various regional Pokémon Contests scatted about will have earned entry to this year's festival."
"Wow!" said Fluttershy after hearing that.
"First impressions really do matter, huh?" said Silverbolt as he could see this was a tight contest based on how it worked.
"It says here the judges form opinions from the first attack, and they take into account the Pokémon's development and its level of cooperation with its trainer," said Rainbow as she was reading from the brochure given to them about Pokémon Contests. "The final decision is made based on points given by the judges."
"Oh, I hope Pauline gets at least a hundred points," said Pinkie as she ate a chocolate bar.
"It doesn't go that high, Pinkie," said Dash to her friend, eating loudly.
"Alright, then, let's start with our first contestant!" said the host as the curtain pulled back to reveal Pauline, who had been randomly selected to start off.
"Looks like she's up first. Man, talk about the luck of the draw," said Silverbolt.
"Alright, Persian, let's do this!" said Pauline as she threw her Pokéball with a small sticker on the front.
Persian emerged from its Pokéball as stars appeared alongside it.
"Nice!" said Silverbolt.
"But what was with the stars when it emerged?" asked Fluttershy.
"Apparently, that's a seal," said Rainbow as she was deep into the pamphlet. "Seems you can put them on your Pokéball to give your Pokémon a flashy entrance. Style points, I guess."
"I thought you hated reading," said Silverbolt.
"I got nothing else to read, alright," fired back Rainbow as she stuck her tongue out at the boy.
"Persian, use Power Gem!" said Pauline as her Pokémon made the glowing gemstones appear as they levitated around it. "Nice, now follow it up using Thunderbolt."
The stones began to hover higher into the air as Persian commanded them to spin rapidly. It then raised its tail like before and produced its Thunderbolt attack. The electricity hit each shiny rock as it began to create a flash that illuminated the entire room.
"Wow!" said Rainbow.
"That's cool!" said Silverbolt.
"Now, use Swift!" said Pauline.
Persian opened its mouth to make yellow stars shoot out and hurled them into the air.
"Finish off with Payday!" said the girl.
"Persian!" said the feline Pokémon as it began to make it rain with cash as it fell from the sky above.
The still airborne coins hit the stars as they shattered upon impact to make fireworks go off. The crowd was drawn into the act as they couldn't take their eyes off Pauline and her Persian. The fireworks died as the girl and her Pokémon bowed gracefully before the crowd. A thunderous applause was heard as a few people stood up to applaud.
"What a stunning finish from our first performance! And what do the judges think?" said the host as he turned to the three analysts, each producing a number.
Pauline scored an 8.5 from the first judge, the second judge gave her a 9, and the other gave her an 8.8 score. Her total was added up to 26.3.
"A decent score for going first," said Silverbolt.
After the rest of the entrants performed, everyone was dismissed as the judges did their final evaluations. The group had found where Pauline was as they headed to the area where the performers were.
"Congrats, Pauline!" said Pinkie as the girl paying attention to the big screen turned her head to look at the group of friends.
"Nice showing!" said Silverbolt.
"Oh, thanks, guys!" said the girl. "I hope that was enough to impress the judges."
"What are you talking about? You got a good score," said Rainbow.
"It's not just that. The judges take a really good look at your performance and review it to the smallest detail. Having a decent score is good, but it's not always about that." said Pauline.
"Yeesh, that sounds rough," said Pinkie as she sipped her giant soda.
"I'm sure..."
[Sip]
"I'm sure..."
[Sip]
"I'm..."
[Sip]
"I..."
[Sip]
Silverbolt snatched the soda from Pinkie's hands as she glared at her.
"It's empty, Pinkie!" shouted the boy as she kept on sucking and interrupting Fluttershy when she was trying to have a moment with Pauline. The girl merely chuckled nervously as he kept his glare on her.
"I'm sure you'll do fine," said Fluttershy as she finally got out what she wanted to say.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
The group turned their attention to the screen in the room as the judges finally decided.
"We thank everybody for your patience. And so, after much consideration from the judges. I'm pleased to announce our finalists, " said the host, pointing to the screen behind him.
One by one, the portraits of the finalists appeared. Among the final 8, Pauline was selected. Seeing her portrait up there among the others, she cracked a smile.
"Look at that!" said Silverbolt as she was also excited for the girl.
"What'd I tell you? You got nothing to worry about!" said Rainbow as she patted Pauline on the shoulder for a good job.
"Contestants, be ready!" said the host.
"Guess we better return to our seats," said Silverbolt, as they knew Pauline had to prepare for her bout.
"And I'm gonna get more licorice," said Pinkie as she hurried to the concessions stand to get more snacks.
The next rounds of the contest were the battle rounds, as all the contestants selected to move on were paired up and placed in the bracket. Rainbow and the others returned to their seats to cheer their friend, with Pinkie getting even more food than before as she wanted to ensure she had enough for the duration of the show.
One by one, the rounds of the Pokémon Contest went. Pauline and Persian were doing their best as they used all their skills and knowledge of Pokémon Contest to outwit and defeat their opponents. Soon, it dwindled to the final two as Pauline was just one win away from obtaining her second ribbon.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen. After many rounds, we are now down to our last two contestants. It's down to Pauline and Felix. Both showed extraordinary skills in the preliminary round and earned their way through the battle rounds." said the host as both contestants were shown on the stage, looking at each other.
"Come on, Pauline! You can do this!" said Silverbolt.
"No mercy!" said Rainbow.
"And now... the five-minute contest battle will now... begin!" said the host as the portraits of the coordinators came on screen with a green bar under them as the timer counted down.
"Go, Persian!" said Pauline as she threw her Pokéball.
"You're on, Aurorus!" said Felix.
A huge dinosaur-like Pokémon appeared. It had light blue colored skin, a teal stomach, and blue eyes. It had many icy gems on the sides of its body and a long, curled tail. It cried as a thin blue-tipped membrane on its head rippled with a light green color.
"Aurorus, the Tundra Pokémon and the evolved form of Amaura. This usually quiet and kindly Pokémon has a surface temperature of around 240 degrees Fahrenheit."
"So that's an Aurorus?" said Fluttershy after checking it on her Pokédex.
"It's pretty, I'll give it that," commented Rainbow.
"Persian, use Swift."
"Aurorus, use Icy Wind."
The two attacks were launched as they collided with each other. The Icy Wind attack from Aurorus did have a sparkling effect as on the board, both Pauline and Felix lost points, with Pauline losing slightly more.
"Huh? I don't get it. Both lost points?" said Rainbow.
"It's because Persian used Swift first but was then countered by Aurorus' Icy Wind," said Silverbolt.
"But Pauline lost more points than her opponent," said Fluttershy.
"I guess Icy Wind was worth more points in the eyes of the judges. It seems not just the attacks that count but how you defend yourself, too." said the boy.
"Persian, switch it up and use Thunderbolt!"
"Aurorus, Light Screen!"
Persian fired its Thunderbolt as Aurorus put up its Light Screen and made several screens of mirrors appear just as the attack made contact, and it gave the shiny mirrors a more colorful reflection as they sparkled. The crowd was amazed by that as Pauline lost more points.
"Only 3:30 minutes remain," said the host.
"Pauline's not doing good," said Pinkie as she moved to eat some gummies.
"Aurorus, Aurora Beam!" said Felix.
Aurorus powered up its attack as its membrane turned orange. It then fired its attack as it headed toward Persian.
"Persian, use Power Gem!" said Pauline.
Persian made its stones appear as it spun them around in a horizontal circle, as it seemed to deflect the attack from the Aurora Beam; however, despite being able to defend itself, Pauline still lost a bit more points than her opponent.
"Only 2 minutes left," said the host.
"Aurorus, use Thunder Wave!"
"Persian, Swift!"
Aurorus charged up and emitted its electrical attack. Persian quickly leaped into the air, opening its mouth and firing yellow stars. Instead of attacking, the stars began to converse and converge as they formed a platform of sorts, and the electricity from Thunder Wave made it levitate. Persian landed on the platform of floating stars and caused Pauline's opponent to lose some major points.
"Wow, look at that!" said Silverbolt, amazed at what he saw.
"Persian, use Thunderbolt!"
"Aurorus, Light Screen!"
Persian then leaped off its platform and began to spin head over heels with its Thunderbolt attack as it surrounded it. Aurorus managed to put up its Light Screen attack just as the charging spinning Persian made contact; both Pokémon tried to outmuscle the other as the timer was ticking down to its final moments.
"Come on, Persian!"
"Hang tough, Aurorus!"
Both heard the call of their trainer as they tried to hold their ground. Aurorus' legs started to drift as Persian put more into its power as the electricity intensified. Soon, the Light Screen Aurorus put up began to crack as Persian managed to break through and make contact with its foe. Aurorus let out a screech as it was hit by the Thunderbolt attack coupled with the spin power from Persian as it was knocked to the floor.
"A clean hit!" said Pinkie as she dumped some snacks onto the floor.
"Nice work, Persian!" said Pauline to her Pokémon as it landed.
"Aurorus!" said Felix as he was concerned for his Pokémon.
The Pokémon stood up as it wasn't willing to accept defeat.
"Use Icy Wind!"
"Power Gem!"
Both Pokémon were about to fire their attack when the timer ran out.
"And that's time!" said the host. It got the contestants' attention, who had gotten so engrained in the battle that they didn't notice that time had finished.
Even the crowd looked to the screen to see who won. On the screen, the portraits of Felix and Pauline were shown as their points bar was under them. The result was that Pauline's bar was more than Felix's.
"And we have our winner. Victory goes to Pauline and her Persian!" said the host as her portrait enlarged and had the word winner above it along with her Pokémon.
"Alright!" said Rainbow as she was glad for the girl.
"Thanks, Persian," said Pauline as she bent down to her Pokémon and thanked it for its performance and getting them the win.
Persian licked its trainer's face as it too was pleased with their performance and its trainer for all their hard work. The girl then stood up as the host, carrying a small plague, walked toward her.
"As proof for winning this Pokémon Contest, here is your ribbon," said the host as he held out the object for Pauline.
"Thank you so much," said Pauline as she grabbed the ribbon. She chuckled as she looked at it, knowing she couldn't have done this herself.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we thank you. And let's give it up again for Pauline and her Persian!" said the host, turning the spotlight over to the girl and her Pokémon as she held the ribbon high.
Once the contest ended, Silverbolt and the girls stood outside the building as Pauline showed them the ribbon she won.
"Wow, it's beautiful," said Fluttershy as she looked at the small ribbon.
"Yeah, I'll admit it's nice," said Rainbow, as she did find it pleasant.
"Congrats on winning your second ribbon, Pauline. I know you'll get all five and do well in the festival," said Silverbolt.
"I appreciate that, Bolt. And I wish you and Rainbow good luck as well. I know you two will crush your gym battles at Mt. Ares." said Pauline to the pair. "I want to see you two compete at the Equestrian League."
"Oh, you can bet your ribbon that I'll be there. And I'm gonna win it, too!" said Rainbow, giving off a fired-up and determined look.
"Well, we'd best get going. See you!" said Silverbolt as he and the girls began to walk down the path while waving at Pauline, who returned the gesture.
"Take care!" shouted Pauline as she saw her newfound friends off until they disappeared.
Author's Note: So when I first thought about this story, I originally was gonna do Pokemon Contests. And I was thinking of having Fluttershy and Rarity be the ones that take part in them. But I eventually decided to scrap the idea since I felt it would be too much for me to handle. So instead of outright doing them, I'd figured I'd at least give them a mention to let everyone know they do exist. I will say, the idea of the group taking part in a Pokemon Contest isn't completely out the window. I do have an idea for a later date.